A competitive protein binding assay for allopurinol and oxipurinol

A competitive protein binding assay for allopurinol or oxipurinol has been developed based on the tight binding of these drugs to reduced xanthine oxidase. Free drug is separated from that bound to xanthine oxidase by absorption with dextran-albumin coated charcoal. This assay can detect as little as 0.1 μm allopurinol or oxipurinol in water, serum, plasma, or urine. Competitive analogs such as hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid require concentrations 100- to 1000-fold greater than those of allopurinol or oxipurinol to cause significant interference with the assay. This assay is simple and rapid with the ability to assay 20–30 samples within 2 h. Measurement of oxipurinol levels in clinical samples shows good correlation with published results using more complex analytical techniques.     

Gas chromatographic–tandem mass spectrometric determination of acetylsalicylic acid in human plasma after oral administration of low-dose aspirin and guaimesal

A fully validated gas chromatographic–tandem mass spectrometric (GC–MS–MS) method is described for the accurate determination of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in human plasma after a single low-dose oral administration of aspirin or guaimesal, an ASA releasing prodrug. ASA and the newly prepared O-[²H₃]-acetylsalicylic acid (d3-ASA) used as internal standard were determined in 100-μl aliquots of plasma by extractive pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) esterification using PFB bromide and tetrabutylammoniumhydrogen sulphate as the esterifying and ion-pairing agent, respectively, and by GC–MS–MS analysis in the negative-ion chemical ionization mode. The overall relative standard deviations were below 8% for ASA levels in the range 0–1 μg/ml plasma. Mean accuracy was 3.8% for ASA levels within the range 0–100 ng/ml. The limit of quantitation of the method was determined as 200 pg/ml ASA at an accuracy of 5.5% and a precision of 15.2%. The limit of detection was determined as 546 amol of ASA at a signal-to-noise ratio of 10:1.     

Simultaneous determination of a new anticancer agent (NB-506) and its active metabolite in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet detection has been developed to quantify NB-506 and its active metabolite in human plasma and urine. This method is based on solid-phase extraction, thereby allowing the simultaneous measurement of the drug and metabolite with the limit of quantification of 0.01 μg/ml in plasma and 0.1 μg/ml in urine. Standard curves for the compounds were linear in the concentration ranges investigated. The range for the drug in plasma was 0.01–2.5 μg/ml, and for the metabolite 0.01–1 μg/ml. In urine, the range for both compounds was 0.1–10 μg/ml. The method was validated and applied to the assay of plasma and urinary samples from phase I studies.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of tazobactam and piperacillin in human plasma and urine

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with ultraviolet (UV) absorbance was developed for the analysis of piperacillin-tazobactam (tazocillin), in plasma and urine. The detection was performed at 218 nm for tazobactam and 222 nm for piperacillin. The procedure for assay of these two compounds in plasma and of piperacillin in urine involves the addition of an internal standard (ceftazidime for tazobactam and benzylpenicillin for piperacillin) followed by a treatment of the samples with acetonitrile and chloroform. To quantify tazobactam in urine, diluted samples were analysed using a column-switching technique without internal standard. The HPLC column, LiChrosorb RP-select B, was equilibrated with an eluent mixture composed of acetonitrile-ammonium acetate (pH 5). The proposed technique is reproducible, selective, and reliable. The method has been validated, and stability tests under various conditions have been performed. Linear detector responses were observed for the calibration curve standards in the ranges 5–60 μg/ml for tazobactam, and 1–100 μg/ml for piperacillin and spans what is currently though to be the clinically relevant range for tazocillin concentrations in body fluids. The limit of quantification was 3 μg/ml for tazobactam and 0.5 μg/ml for piperacillin in plasma and urine. Extraction recoveries from plasma proved to be more than 85%. Precision, expressed as C.V., was in the range 0.4–18%.     

Simple and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic method for estimating plasma quinidine levels

A reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatographic method employing fluorescence detection is described for the rapid quantification of plasma levels of quinidine, dihydroquinidine and 3-hydroxyquinidine. It involves protein precipitation with acetonitrile followed by direct injection of the supernatant into the chromatograph. For the preparation of plasma standards, pure 3-hydroxyquinidine was isolated from human urine by a simplified thin-layer chromatographic procedure. The mobile phase for the chromatography was a mixture of 1.5 mM aqueous phosphoric acid and acetonitrile (90:10) at a flow-rate of 2 ml/min. The intra-assay coefficient of variation for the assay of quinidine and 3-hydroxyquinidine over the concentration range 2.5–20 μmole/l was < 1% for both. Interassay coefficients of variation for quinidine (10 μmole/l) and 3-hydroxyquinidine (5 μmole/l) were 3.5% and 4.0% with detection limits of 50 and 25 μmole/l respectively. The method correlated well (r² = 0.96) with an independently developed gas—liquid chromatographic—nitrogen detection assay for quinidine which also possessed a high degree of precision. (Intra-assay coefficient of variation 3.6% at 20 μmole/l). As expected, comparison of the high-performance liquid chromatographic assay with a published protein precipitation—fluorescence assay showed poor correlation (r² = 0.78).     

Determination of paclitaxel and metabolites in mouse plasma,tissues, urine and faeces by semi-automated reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

We have developed and validated a sensitive and selective assay for the quantification of paclitaxel and its metabolites 6α,3′-p-dihydroxypaclitaxel, 3′-p-hydroxypaclitaxel and 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel in plasma, tissue, urine and faeces specimens of mice. Tissue and faeces were homogenized (approximately 0.1–0.2 g/ml) in bovine serum albumin (40 g/I) in water, and urine was diluted (1:5, v/v) in blank human plasma. Sample pretreatment involved liquid-liquid extraction of 200–1000 μl of sample with diethyl ether followed by automated solid-phase extraction using cyano Bond Elut column. 2′-Methylpaclitaxel was used as internal standard. The overall recovery of the sample pretreatment procedure ranged from 76 ot 85%. In plasma, the lower limit of detection (LOD) and the lower limit of quantitation (LLQ) are 15 and 25 ng/ml, respectively, using 200 μl of sample. In tissues, faeces and urine the LLQs are 25–100 ng/g, 125 ng/g and 25 ng/ml, respectively, using 1000 μl (faeces: 200 μl) of homogenized or diluted sample. The concentrations in the various biological matrices, for validation procedures spiked with known amounts of the test compounds, are read from calibration curves constructed in blank human plasma in the range 25–100 000 ng/ml for paclitaxel and 25–500 ng/ml for the metabolites. The accuracy and precision of the assay fall within the generally accepted criteria for bio-analytical assays.     

Direct analysis of salicylic acid,salicyl acyl glucuronide,salicyluric acid and gentisic acid in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

A method for the simultaneous direct determination of salicylate (SA), its labile, reactive metabolite, salicyl acyl glucuronide (SAG), and two other major metabolites, salicyluric acid and gentisic acid in plasma and urine is described. Isocratic reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) employed a 15-cm C₁₈ column using methanol-acetonitrile-25 mM acetic acid as the mobile phase, resulting in HPLC analysis time of less than 20 min. Ultraviolet detection at 310 nm permitted analysis of SAG in plasma, but did not provide sensitivity for measurement of salicyl phenol glucuronide. Plasma or urine samples are stabilized immediately upon collection by adjustment of pH to 3–4 to prevent degradation of the labile acyl glucuronide metabolite. Plasma is then deproteinated with acetonitrile, dried and reconstituted for injection, whereas urine samples are simply diluted prior to injection on HPLC. m-Hydroxybenzoic acid served as the internal standard. Recoveries from plasma were greater than 85% for all four compounds over a range of 0.2–20 μg/ml and linearity was observed from 0.1–200 μg/ml and 5–2000 μg/ml for SA in plasma and urine, respectively. The method was validated to 0.2 μg/ml, thus allowing accurate measurement of SA, and three major metabolites in plasma and urine of subjects and small animals administered salicylates. The method is unique by allowing quantitation of reactive SAG in plasma at levels well below 1% that of the parent compound, SA, as is observed in patients administered salicylates.     

Simultaneous determination of primidone and its three major metabolites in rat urine by high-performance liquid chromatography using solid-phase extraction

A new high-performance liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of primidone (PRM) and of its three major metabolites, phenobarbital (PB), p-hydroxyphenobarbital (p-HO-PB) and phenylethylmalonamide (PEMA), in rat urine, was developed. After acid hydrolysis, these compounds were extracted from urine by means of a Bond Elut Certify LRC column with good clean-up. The extracts were chromatographed on a C₁₈ reversed-phase column using isocratic elution at 40°C, with UV detection at 227 nm. The limit of detection was 0.5 mg/ml for the four compounds. Good linearity (r²>0.99) was observed within the calibration ranges studied: 37.4–299.3 μg/ml for PRM, 26.4–211.2 μg/ml for PB, 12.5–100.2 μg/ml for p-HO-PB and 12.1–97.0 μg/ml for PEMA. Repeatability was in the range 3.1–6.8%. This method constitutes a useful tool for studies on the influence of various parameters on primidone metabolism.     

Quantitation of the antitumor agent N-(Phosphonacetyl)-l-aspartic acid in human plasma and urine by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry—selected ion monitoring

N-(Phosphonacetyl)-l-aspartic acid (PALA) is an antitumor agent which is currently under clinical study. A gas chromatography—mass spectrometry—selected ion monitoring assay procedure using [¹³C]PALA as the internal standard has been developed for the quantitation of PALA in biological samples. Standard curves which related ion intensity peak height ratios (m/e 220/221) to PALA concentrations in plasma and urine were described by a non-linear least square analysis with correlation coefficients of R² > 0.995 and > 0.996, respectively. Over concentration ranges for PALA of 1–60 μg/ml of plasma and 1–160 μg/ml of urine the coefficient of variation from the fitted curve was 4–18%. This methodology has been used to quantitate PALA in human plasma samples in a study on the clinical pharmacology of the drug.     

The conversion of 4-hydroxypyrazolo-[3,4-d]pyrimidine (allopurinol) into 4,6-dihydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (oxipurinol) in vivo in the absence of xanthine–oxygen oxidoreductase

1. A patient with congenital deficiency of xanthine oxidase (EC 1.2.3.2) (xanthinuria) excreted the xanthine isomer 4,6-dihydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (oxipurinol) in his urine when the hypoxanthine isomer 4-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (allopurinol) was given by mouth. 2. The identity of the oxipurinol that the patient excreted was established by mass spectrometry. 3. The mass spectra and infrared spectra of allopurinol, oxipurinol, hypoxanthine and xanthine are compared. 4. A mechanism for the fragmentation of these compounds that occurs during their mass-spectrometric investigation is proposed. 5. A possible metabolic pathway for the oxidation of allopurinol to oxipurinol in the absence of xanthine oxidase is discussed.     

Determination of amdinocillin in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid, sensitive and specific high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay was developed for the determination of amdinocillin (formerly mecillinam) in human plasma and urine. The assay is performed by direct injection of a plasma protein-free supernatant or a dilution of urine. A 10-μm μBondapak phenyl column with an eluting solvent of water—methanol—1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7 (70:30:0.5) was used, with UV detection of the effluent at 220 nm. Azidocillin potassium salt [potassium-6-(d-(-)-α-azidophenyacetamido)-penicillanate] was used as the internal standard and quantitation was based on peak height ratio of amdinocillin to that of the internal standard. The assay has a recovery of 74.4 ± 6.3% (S.D.) in the concentration ranges of 0.1–20 μg per 0.2 ml of plasma with a limit of detection equivalent to 0.5 μg/ml plasma. The urine assay was validated over a concentration range of 0.025–5 mg/ml of urine, and has a limit of detection of 0.025 mg/ml (25 μg/ml) using a 0.1-ml urine specimen per assay.The assay was applied to the determination of plasma and urine concentrations of amdinocillin following intravenous administration of a 10 mg/kg dose of amdinocillin to two human subjects. The HPLC and microbiological assays were shown to correlate well for these samples.     

Development of a gradient elution high-performance liquid chromatography assay with ultraviolet detection for the determination in plasma of the anticancer peptide [Arg6, d-Trp7,9, mePhe8]-substance P (6–11) (antagonist G), its major metabolites and a C-terminal pyrene-labelled conjugate

[Arg⁶, d-Trp^7,9, mePhe⁸]-substance P (6–11), code-named antagonist G, is a novel peptide currently undergoing early clinical trials as an anticancer drug. A sensitive, high efficiency high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method is described for the determination in human plasma of antagonist G and its three major metabolites, deamidated-G (M1), G-minus Met¹¹ (M2) and G[Met¹¹(O)] (M3). Gradient elution was employed using 40 mM ammonium acetate in 0.15% trifluoroacetic acid as buffer A and acetonitrile as solvent B, with a linear gradient increasing from 30 to 100% B over 15 min, together with a microbore analytical column (μBondapak C₁₈, 30 cm×2 mm I.D.). Detection was by UV at 280 nm and the column was maintained at 40°C. Retention times varied by <1% throughout the day and were as follows: G, 13.0 min; M1, 12.2 min; M2, 11.2 min; M3, 10.8 min, and 18.1 min for a pyrene conjugate of G (G–P). The limit of detection on column (LOD) was 2.5 ng for antagonist G, M1–3 and G–P and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 20 ng/ml for G and 100 ng/ml for M1–3. Sample clean-up by solid-phase extraction using C₂-bonded 40 μm silica particles (Bond Elut, 1 ml reservoirs) resulted in elimination of interference from plasma constituents. Within-day and between-day precision and accuracy over a broad range of concentrations (100 ng/ml–100 μg/ml) normally varied by <10%, although at the highest concentrations of M1 and M2 studied (50 μg/ml), increased variability and reduced recovery were observed. The new assay will aid in the clinical development of antagonist G.     

Determination of a new oral cephalosporin,S-1090, in human plasma and urine by direct injection high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and column switching

Direct injection high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods with column switching and UV detection were developed for the rapid and accurate determination of S-1090 in human plasma and urine. An internal-surface reversed-phase pre-column and a C₁₈ analytical column were used for the plasma assay. Two pre-columns packed with cyano and phenyl materials and a C₁₈ analytical column were used for the urine assay. The calibration curves for plasma and urine assays were linear in the ranges 0.09–9 μg/ml and 0.5–100 μg/ml of S-1090, respectively. The relative standard deviations for plasma and urine assays were less than 6% with low relative errors. The established HPLC methods were demonstrated to be useful for clinical pharmacokinetic studies after oral administration of S-1090.     

Determination of the antihypertensive agent 1-(2-aminoethyl)-3-(2,6-Dichlorophenyl)thiourea in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid, sensitive and specific normal-phase (adsorption) high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay was developed for the determination of 1-(2-aminoethyl)-3-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)thiourea [I] in plasma and urine. The assay involves the extraction of the compound into methylene chloride from plasma or urine buffered to pH 10, and the HPLC analysis of the residue dissolved in methylene chloride—methanol—heptane (85:10:5). A 10-μm silica gel column was used with methylene chloride—methanol—heptane—ammonium hydroxide (85:10:5:0.1) as the eluting solvent. The effluent was monitored at 254 nm and quantitation was based on the peak height vs. concentration technique. The assay has a recovery of 64.5 ± 4.5% (S.D.) from plasma and 96.0 ± 6.3% (S.D.) from urine in the concentration range of 0.1–2 μg per ml and 2–40 μg per 0.1 ml of plasma and urine, respectively, with a limit of detection of 0.05–0.1 μg [I] per ml of plasma using a 1-ml specimen and 0.1 μg per ml urine using a 0.1-ml specimen, respectively. The assay was applied to the determination of plasma levels and urinary excretion of the compound [I] in dog following the oral administration of 28.8 mg of [I] · maleate per kg body weight.The HPLC assay was also used to determine the stability of [I] and for the measurement of a potential degradation product, clonidine [II] [2-(2,6-dichlorophenylamino)-2-imidazoline] in pooled human plasma stored at ?17°C, and pooled human urine stored at ?17°C and ?90°C, respectively.     

Dalbavancin: Quantification in human plasma and urine by a new improved high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method

Dalbavancin is a novel second-generation lipoglycopeptide antibiotic with activity against broad range of Gram-positive pathogens. In order to determine the pharmacokinetics (PK) of dalbavancin in pediatric patients, a new High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) bioanalytical method has been developed for quantification of dalbavancin in plasma and in urine. The plasma method was validated for dalbavancin in the linear range from 0.5 μg/mL to 500 μg/mL using 50 μL of K(2) EDTA plasma. For dalbavancin spiked in urine, non-specific binding (NSB) of the drug to polypropylene (PP) urine collection containers was observed. The loss amounted to about 10% per transfer. After successfully establishing the collection/sampling procedure for urine by addition of Triton X-100 to the collection vessels (with a purpose of preventing NSB), the method was validated for dalbavancin in the range from 0.05 μg/mL to 50 μg/mL, using 100 μL of urine. These methods were used to quantify dalbavancin in plasma and urine of hospitalized children in a pediatric dalbavancin PK study. Eighteen percent of the total number of plasma study samples was reassayed for incurred samples reproducibility (ISR) and all the reassayed dalbavancin concentrations were within the ± 20% limits. For urine, all the collected samples were reassayed for ISR and the original dalbavancin concentration was confirmed within the ± 20% limits for 17 (94%) samples; the one remaining urine sample had its reassayed concentration confirmed within ± 25% of the original result.     

Determination of ticarcillin epimers in plasma and urine with high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatogaphic method was developed for determining the concentrations of ticarcillin (TIPC) epimers in human plasma and urine. Samples were prepared for HPLC analysis with a solid-phase extraction method and the concentrations of TIPC epimers were determined using reversed-phase HPLC. The mobile phase was a mixture of 0.005 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) and methanol (12:1, v/v) with a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min. TIPC epimers were detected at 254 nm. Baseline separation of the two epimers was observed for both plasma and urine samples with a detection limit of ca. 1 μg/ml with a S/N ratio of 3. No peaks interfering with either of the TIPC epimers were observed on the HPLC chromatograms for blank plasma and urine. The recovery was more than 80% for both plasma and urine samples. C.V. values for intra- and inter-day variabilities were 0.9–2.1 and 1.1–6.4%, respectively, at concentrations ranging between 5 and 200 μg/ml. The present method was used to determine the concentrations of TIPC epimers in plasma and urine following intravenous injection of TIPC to a human volunteer. It was found that both epimers were actively secreted into urine and that the secretion of TIPC was not stereoselective. Plasma protein binding was also measured, which revealed stereoselective binding of TIPC in human plasma.     

Simultaneous determination of phenol,cresol, xylenol isomers and napthols in urine by capillary gas chromatography

An attempt was made to establish a method for the simultaneous determination of urinary concentrations of phenol, o-, p- and m-cresols, 1 and 2-naphthol and xylenol isomers by capillary gas chromatography. Urine samples were extracted after acid hydrolysis of glucuronides and sulfates by solid-phase extraction. The ten substances were separated gas chromatographically using a capillary column (Ultra 2) of cross-linked 5% phenylmethyl silicone. Calibration graphs were linear for 5–100 μg/ml of all the phenols determined. The corresponding detection limits for phenolic compounds varied from 0.1 to 0.2 μg/ml. The relative standard deviations for samples in urine were in the range 2.6–16.6% and the accuracy was in the range 1.4–25%. Recoveries were generally over 80%.     

Simultaneous determination of tolmetin and its metabolite in biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography

A highly sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic assay has been developed for the separation and quantitation of tolmetin and its major metabolite in human biological fluids, viz. plasma, urine and synovial fluid. Analysis of plasma and synovial fluid required only 0.5 ml of the sample. The sample was washed with diethyl ether and extracted with diethyl ether—chloroform (2:1). The extracted compounds were injected onto a reversed-phase column (RP-2) and absorbance was measured at 313 nm. The standard curves in plasma were found to be linear for both tolmetin and the metabolite at concentrations from 0.04 to 10.0 μg/ml. Urine samples (0.5 ml) were diluted (1:1) with methanol containing the internal standard and were directly injected onto the reversed-phase (RP-2) column. Standard curves of tolmetin and metabolite in urine were linear in the range 5–300 μg/ml. Serum and synovial fluid concentrations of tolmetin and its metabolite in patients receiving multiple doses of tolmetin sodium were determined using the assay procedure.     

Simultaneous quantification of the organophosphorus pesticides dimethoate and omethoate in porcine plasma and urine by LC–ESI-MS/MS and flow-injection-ESI-MS/MS

Dimethoate is an organophosphorus toxicant used in agri- and horticulture as a systemic broad-spectrum insecticide. It also exhibits toxic activity towards mammalian organism provoked by catalytic desulfuration in the liver producing its oxon-derivative omethoate thus inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, initiating cholinergic crisis and ultimately leading to death by respiratory paralysis and cardiovascular collapse. Pharmaco- and toxicokinetic studies in animal models help to broaden basic understanding of medical intervention by antidotes and supportive care. Therefore, we developed and validated a LC–ESI-MS/MS method suitable for the simultaneous, selective, precise (RSD_intra-day 1–8%; RSD_inter-day 5–14%), accurate (intra-day: 95–107%; inter-day: 90–115%), and robust quantification of both pesticides from porcine urine and plasma after deproteinization by precipitation and extensive dilution (1:11,250 for plasma and 1:40,000 for urine). Accordingly, lower limits of quantification (0.24–0.49 μg/ml plasma and 0.78–1.56 μg/ml urine) and lower limits of detection (0.12–0.24 μg/ml plasma and 0.39–0.78 μg/ml urine) were equivalent to quite low absolute on-column amounts (1.1–2.1 pg for plasma and 2.0–3.9 pg for urine). The calibration range (0.24–250 μg/ml plasma and 0.78–200 μg/ml urine) was subdivided into two linear ranges (r² ≥ 0.998) each covering nearly two orders of magnitude. The lack of any interfering peak in 6 individual blank specimens from plasma and urine demonstrated the high selectivity of the method. Furthermore, extensive sample dilution causing lowest concentration of potentially interfering matrix ingredients prompted us to develop and validate an additional flow-injection method (FI-ESI-MS/MS). Validation characteristics were as good as for the chromatographic method but sample throughput was enhanced by a factor of 6. Effects on ionization provoked by plasma and urine matrix from 6 individuals as well as in the presence of therapeutics (antidotes) administered in an animal study were investigated systematically underling in the reliability of the presented methods. Both methods were applied to porcine samples derived from an in vivo animal study.     

Quantitative analysis of oxepinac in human plasma,urine and saliva by gas chromatography—mass fragmentography

A sensitive and specific method is described for the quantitative analysis of 6,11-dihydro-11-oxo-dibenz[b,e]oxepin-3-acetic acid (oxepinac) in human plasma, urine and saliva. Oxepinac and internal standard are extracted from acidified plasma, urine or saliva, converted to the corresponding n-propyl esters and analysed by gas chromatography—mass fragmentography using selected ion monitoring. The method is accurate and precise over the range 100 μg/ml to 1.0 ng/ml. The method has been applied to the analysis of plasma, urine and saliva from healthy volunteers receiving therapeutic doses of oxepinac.